Combination game or puzzle



(No Mpdel.)

W. VT. CARTER. COMBINATION GAMB 0R PUZZLE.

No. 524303. Patented Aug. 2191894.

l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-r

WILLIAM T. CARTER, OF "PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CO- LUMBIA NOVELTY AND ADVERTISING COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,703, dated August 21,1894.

Application led September 15, 1891. Serial-No. 405.776- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. CARTER, of the city of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Combination Game or Puzzle, entitled the four and four, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a game or puzzle, something'that shall be simple in construction, durable, and cheap for the entertainment of young or grown up people. This I have accomplished by my invention which consists of a board of wood, or other suitable material, with or without a rim around the same, made in the form of an ordinary school slate and provided with a suitable number of slots or tongues, the slots between said tongues adapted to receive the shank of a double checker or stud, the top of stud being above the board and the bottom below thus preventing the checker from fall` ing out, as the tops and bottoms of stud overlap tongues on either side of slot.

I employ in my game eight double checkers or studs, four white and four black, and construct my board with ten openings or slots and nine tongues, so that two checkers maybe moved at once from the slots they occupied to the two extra slots that are always unoccupied. Either side of the board may be used in playing the game and the board and checkers may be made of any suitable size or material and in any shape desired.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters refer to like parts, A represents the board; -A- the tenon on same; B slots or openings; C the tongues between the openings; -C' square front of tongues; -02- angle or rounded edge of tongue to permit checker `or stud to enter easily into slot or openings; D the rim or edge of board; E longitudinal slot; F the white checker or studs; H the black checkers or studs; F and H the bottoms of studs and I'I2 shank of stud.

Figure 1 is a view showing the board arranged for play the black and white checkers being arranged alternately in adjoining slots, two slots being unoccupied. Fig. 2 is a view showing the problem solved or worked, the four white checkers together and the four black checkers together in the four adjoining slots. Fig. 3 is a section of the board on the line X X, showing the construction of the checker and its position when placedin slot between tongues. Fig. et is a section of the board on the line Z Z.

The board is constructed in one piece and is prevented from warping or losing its shape by the rim D which is secured thereto as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or in any other suitable manner.

Besides the problems shown in the drawings, of changing the positions of the cheekers from alternate black and white to four black and four white, many other combinations or problems may be worked out according to the rule of play, which is to move two adjoining checkers at every move.

The number of checkers and slots may be increased or diminished without changing the essential feature of my invention.

The double checker or stud may be constructed in two or three parts, the shank being provided at its ends with a screw thread for the purpose of screwing into the heads of the checker or stud but I prefer to construct the double checker or stud in one piece.

Whenthe checker is constructed in one piece as I propose to make it, it is inserted in the slots of the board by gently raising one of the tongues enough to allow the one head of checker to pass through the opening so made. If the checker is constructed in parts the shank H2 is passed through the slot and the head F or H screwed on the shank or secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The board also may be made in sections but I' prefer to construct the board as shown in the drawings out of one piece of material with or without the rim D-around the same.

With this description of my invention, what I claim is- In a combination game or puzzle the board A provided with the longitudinal slot E, the ten slots B at right angles to the longitudinal slot E forming nine tongues C, said tongues having a rounded corner C2 in combination with eight double checkers, four of whichare white and four are black, each checker made of one piece of material, the shank lfitting loosely in said slot with one head above the board and one below it so thateither side of the board may be used in playing the game, the object of whichl is tov group the checkers of the same color togetherv in a given number of moves taking two ad- 

